Book-rest



- (N0 Mqdel.)

G. K. PUTNAM. BOOK REST.

N0."593,120. Patented Nov. 2, 1897.

INVENTOR WITNESSES WW ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcs.

GEORGE K. PUTNAM, OF MONTPELIER, VERMONT.

BOOK-REST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,120, dated November 2, 1897. Application filed February 1, 1897. Serial No. 621,508. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE K. PUTNAM, of Montpelier, in the county of Vashington and State of .Vermont, have invented a new and Improved Book-Rest, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a superior device for holding account-books on tables or desks the surfaces of which are either flat or inclined.

The invention will be fully described hereinafter and defined in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference ind icate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line III III of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View showing a detail hereinafter described, and Fig. 5 is a section on the line V V of Fig. 4.

The book-rest comprises a rigid main portion and two sliding side portions. The main portion is constructed of four longitudinal plates 4, joined to each other at their front ends by a plate 5 and at their rear ends by a plate 6. The rear ends of the plates 4 are considerably wider than the forward ends of the plates, so that the plane upper edges of the plates will be held inclined forwardly when rested on ahorizontal surface. The rear end plate 6 is of a width equal to the greatest width of the plates 4 and has at its lower edge a plate '7, adapted to rest on the surface supporting the device and secured to the lower rear edges of the plates 4 as well as to the plates 6, so as to strengthen the wholestructure.

Formed in the two outer of the plates 4 are orifices 8, which are two for each outer plate 4 and respectively carry the bars 9. The bars 9 are connected in pairs by the two plates 10, which are respectively attached to the outer ends of the pairs of bars and have a form similar to the form of the plates 4, the front end of each plate 10 having an upwardlyextending lug 11, registering with the upper edge of the plate 5, which upper edge is projected above the plane upper edges of the plates 4 to form a ledge against which the book may bear. By moving the plates 10 in and out the width of the rest may be regulated and books of various sizes held. The two inner. of the four plates 4 are each provided with two orifices 12, the widths of which are approximately twice the width of the openings 8. The forward opening 12 in each plate 4 is adapted to receive each end of the forward bars 9, so as to hold the bars from lateral displacement. The rearward opening 12 in the plate 4 is adapted to receive both ends of the rearward bars 9 and hold said bars, as before explained.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, bars 90f each pair, the members of which pairs are engaged with each other, are provided in their engaging edges with dovetail grooves 13. The innor end of each bar 9 has secured in the groove 13 thereof a double dovetail plate 20, one dovetail portion of each plate 20 fitting within the groove 13 of the bar which carries said plate and the second dovetail portion of each plate 20 fitting slidably within the groove 13 of that bar 9 which is engaged with the bar 9, which carries the said plate 20. By this construction the plates 10 may be moved inward against the outer plates 4, or may be moved outward until the inner ends of the bars 9 in each pair of interengaged bars are adjacent to each other, whereupon the plates 19 of the respective pairs engage each other and prevent further outward movement of the plates '10.

A hand-supporting plate 14 is provided at its lower rear edge with a triangular cleat 15,

with which the metal plates 16 are connected. These plates are bent to form hooks engaged with the upper edge of the plate 5. By these means the plate 14 may be adjusted transversely along the bars 5 to suit the convenience of the person using the book-rest. The plate 14 is useful when the writer has reached the lower portion of the pages.

The plate 6 is provided at its rear side with a standard 17 theupper end of which is concaved to receive the back of the book and support the book in a very much inclined position should this be desired. The standard 17 is pivoted on a bolt-1S and bears against the pin 19, so that the standard may be moved to lie horizontal with the plate 6 or to extend vertically therefrom, in which latter position the standard will engage with the pin 19 and be supported thereby;

The invention is useful on desks having either horizontal or inclined surfaces, and by placing the book open on the restthe book will be held convenient for the person using it. If it is desired to simply read from the book, the book may be raised on the standard 17. By pushing the plates 10 inward and moving the standard 17 to a horizontal position, the rest may be folded to a very compact form and carried easily about.

A U-shaped bar 21 is pivoted at its ends to the two inner of the four plates a and is capable of swinging upward to engage the two forward of the bars 9, so as to be supported vertically, as shown in Fig. 1. Ihe bar 21 may also swing forwardly and downwardly to lie below the upper edges of the plates 4, in which position the bar is inactive. The purpose of the bar 21 is to support the rear portion of a book which is too short to extend between the plate 5 and the standard 17, in which case the front edge of the book rests on the plate 5 and the rear portion is supported by the bar 21.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A book-rest having a stationary frame portion provided with four longitudinal plates joined at their front and rear ends by transverse plates, the forward of the transverse plates having its upper edge extending above the longitudinal plates to form aledge against which the book maybear, two plates respectively at the side of the stationary frame portion and means for slidably mounting said side plates so that they may move toward and from the stationary frame portion, the front end of each side plate having an upwardlyextending lu g matching with the forward transverse plate, substantially as described.

2. A book-rest having a stationary frame portion provided with longitudinally-extendin g plates joined by transverse plates at their front and rear ends, two pairs of parallel bars sliding transversely in the longitudinal frameplates, the bars passing through individual openings in the outer of the longitudinal plates, and the pairs of bars respectively passing through joint openings in the inner of the longitudinal bars, a plate carried by each bar to limit the outward movement thereof, and i a side plate secured to one bar of each pair and slidable with the bars toward and from the stationary frame portion, substantially as described.

3. The combination with asupport, of two plates arranged with adjacent edges and the plates being in the same plane with each other, each plate having a groove formed in the edge adjacent to the companion plate, and each plate carrying a rigid projection, the projection of each plate being slidable within the groove of the companion plate and the projections being capable of engagement with each other to prevent the separation of the plates.

4. A book-rest having a frame with longitudinal plates joined to each other at their front and rear ends by transverse plates, the forward of the transverse plates having its upper edge located above the longitudinal plate to form a ledge for supporting the book, two plates slidable transversely in the longitudinal plates of the frame, and a side plate carried at the outer end of each of the sliding plates, the forward ends of the side plates being upturned to coact with the upper edge of the front transverse plate.

GEORGE K. PUTNAM.

Witnesses:

G. C. BANCROFT, O. D. CLARK. 

